Men’s track wins first Big Ten Indoor Championship since 1992

The IU men’s track and field squad capped its weekend with a team victory at the Big Ten Indoor Championships at Nebraska, while the women’s squad placed eighth.

The men’s team’s victory was the first for the Hoosiers since 1992. Junior distance runner Andrew Bayer scored 26 points in the meet.

Bayer finished first in the one-mile run with a time of 4:04.64. He also took top honors in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:01.38.

Bayer became the first Hoosier to earn victories in two distance races in a single Big Ten meet since Bob Kennedy won the one-mile run, 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters in 1992.

However, IU Coach Ron Helmer said credit does not simply belong to the athletes who contributed the most to the point total.

“These kids really care about each other,” Helmer said. “It was not just a few people contributing. It was a true team effort. They really, really like each other right now.”

Also contributing to that team effort was senior sprinter Kind Butler, who claimed victory in the 200 meters with a time of 20.92 seconds, .51 seconds ahead of second place. Butler also placed second in the 60 meters with a time of 6.67 seconds.

Sophomore high jumper Darius King tacked 10 points on the board with a victory in the high jump, clearing 2.22 meters. That jump moved King into a tie for 11th in Division 1 this season, as well as third place in school history.

The most dramatic sequence of the weekend was the men’s 4x400 relay. To claim a team victory, the relay squad had to add to the point total and did just that by finishing in fifth place, good for four points.

The relay, made of junior Chris Vaughn, freshman Nick Stoner and seniors Ryan Hindes and Butler, recorded a season-best time of 3:10.18, which also ranks third in school history.

Helmer said the team victory was the result of a process that has been in the works.

“It’s great for our team to get a victory because we had a lot of people contribute to building a winning culture,” Helmer said. “All of the preparation they put in certainly has a grand payoff.”

As for what the victory means for his team heading into the outdoor season, Helmer is not sure there is a definitive answer.

“To achieve more success, they have to put the work in,” Helmer said. “It’s equally as important now as it will be once we move outdoors.”

Helmer said while winning the Big Ten Indoor title might not translate into success during the outdoor season, he is optimistic about his team’s chances.

“We should contend for an outdoor title,” Helmer said. “There are a lot of great teams in our conference. We’ll have a shot, and we’ll take the challenge when it arises.”